Report: Neptune Energy hires Ensco’s jack-up drilling rig

UK-based offshore driller Ensco has reportedly found work for one of its jack-up drilling rigs.

According to VesselsValue, a website providing intel on offshore and shipping world, Ensco won a three-month deal with Neptune Energy for the Ensco 101 jack-up rig.

VesselsValue stated that the deal for the Ensco 101 rig would end on Jun 20, 2018.

No additional information regarding the deal was disclosed. The drilling location, as well as the financial details, remain unknown.

According to latest AIS data for the rig from Tuesday, March 20, the rig is currently moored in the North Sea off the coast of the United Kingdom.

The rig’s previous contract was with Engie in the North Sea until February 2018 on a dayrate of $74,000.

As for the rig, the Ensco 101 was built by Keppel FELS in Singapore and delivered in 2000. The jack-up rig can work in water depths of up to 400 feet and has a maximum drilling depth of 30,000 feet as well as accommodate 120 people.

Offshore Energy Today has reached out to Ensco for confirmation and more details about the charter, and we will update the article if and when we receive a response.

Engie takeover

To remind, private-equity backed Neptune Energy in February this year completed the acquisition of Engie E&P International (EPI) from the French energy group, Engie.

Engie had received an offer from Neptune for the stake in its oil and gas exploration and production business, Engie E&P, in May 2017.

Neptune, an investment firm established in 2015 by an ex-Centrica boss Sam Laidlaw, offered to buy Engie’s 70% interest in EPI for an aggregate value of €4.7 billion (at 100%, including €1.1 billion in decommissioning liabilities deconsolidated from Engie’s balance sheet).

Neptune announced the close of the transaction on Thursday, February 15, 2018. The transaction saw Neptune become an international independent E&P company across the North Sea, North Africa and South East Asia, producing 154,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2017.